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Appativana Sutta

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Title: Appativana Sutta: Relentlessly

Summary: What is the one thing regarding which the Buddha does not recommend contentment.

“Monks, I have known two qualities through experience: discontent with regard to skillful qualities(1)
and unrelenting exertion. Relentlessly I exerted myself, [thinking,]
'Gladly would I let the flesh & blood in my body dry up, leaving
just the skin, tendons, & bones, but if I have not attained what
can be reached through human firmness, human persistence, human
striving, there will be no relaxing my persistence.' From this
heedfulness of mine was attained Awakening. From this heedfulness of
mine was attained the unexcelled freedom from bondage.

“You, too, monks, should relentlessly exert yourselves, [thinking,]
'Gladly would we let the flesh & blood in our bodies dry up,
leaving just the skin, tendons, & bones, but if we have not
attained what can be reached through human firmness, human persistence,
human striving, there will be no relaxing our persistence.' You, too,
in no long time will reach & remain in the supreme goal of the holy
life for which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness,
knowing & realizing it for yourselves in the here & now.

“Thus you should train yourselves: 'We will relentlessly exert
ourselves, [thinking,] “Gladly would we let the flesh & blood in
our bodies dry up, leaving just the skin, tendons, & bones, but if
we have not attained what can be reached through human firmness, human
persistence, human striving, there will be no relaxing our
persistence.”' That's how you should train yourselves.”

Note

words, not allowing oneself to rest content merely with the skillful
qualities developed on the path. In the Buddha's biography, this point
is illustrated by his refusal to rest content with the formless
absorptions he mastered under his first two teachers. See MN 36.

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